Treat your customers like blog subscribers (Saturated Market)

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Treat your customers like blog subscribers

Customer Service You must think I've gone off my rocker. I can just hear you clicking on the comment link, just waiting to ask me why in the name of all that's Holy I would suggest you treat customers like blog readers. Well, there's a perfectly rational explanation, and it has nothing to do with sending your clients rss feeds.

I'm referring to responsiveness. One of the biggest factors that excites me about a blog is how the author responds to the readers.

Brian Clark of Copyblogger fame makes regular appearances on his own comment board to reply to anybody who contributes to the conversation in a meaningful way. He has far too many readers to reply to every comment, but when somebody adds their two cents and adds something relevant to the conversation (rather than someone saying "Good post!" and linking back to their own blog), Brian is sure to keep the dialogue going. Brian qualifies his readers as real readers rather than skimmers and shameless self-promoters, just like you would qualify prospects as potential clients rather than window-shoppers.

Mike Sigers of Simplenomics does the same as Brian, but takes it a couple steps further. Mike doesn't seem to get as many commenters, and is also a consummate salesman, so he does in fact reply to EVERY comment. I believe he even posted about it. He is quick to thank any poster and welcome newbies, and even quicker to chew out abusive comments. Mike leaves no inquiry or sales call hanging, and treats every new arrival as a valued 'customer'. He also has no patience for troublesome clients who prove to be liabilities.

Chuck Westbrook of I Hate Your Job is the "small business" of the bunch I'm talking about today. He replies to every comment (in length, as well) and if my experience mirrors others' he even sends emails offering thanks for comments and reading. In fact, he even emailed me asking me to add my two cents to a discussion going on over there right now. When you're competing with a big market like blogs and you're a new face, you need to stand out. And one of the best ways to do it is with beyond outstanding customer service. Leave nobody unanswered and they will be loyal to you. And when you invite current clients to participate in an exercise or experience that adds value, you show them that you care about their needs. Every salesman should try this at least once.

I'm also going to use myself as one last example. Rather, this post. If you promise a post to your readers, you need to deliver. I promised this post to Chuck, and it wasn't until today (and following an email from him) that I delivered. The same goes for...well, anybody in real life. FOLLOW THROUGH.

These are just a few examples of how you can improve your customer service/client relations by just being responsive. I recommend you give them a try. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm currently enjoying some time off from work and spending the long weekend (plus a few extra days) in Muskoka. I will be back in the big city in the middle of next week. And I hope to return with a post expanding on one of the points I mentioned today, as well as a few entries on Key of J. (Preview: Greatest hits albums and a certain Boss...but not the kind in your office). In the meantime, I have a date with a book, a dock, and a bottle of Alexander Keith's.

Until next time,